About Lakeland

We Love Lakeland!

Centrally located between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland is a progressively growing city with a vibe all its own. From its massive, corporate businesses to its smaller, local brands, Lakeland introduces industrialism in a whole new way by inspiring fresh thinking and innovation. With a population of roughly 100,000, Lakeland is a city with a diverse variety of residents. Lakeland was founded in 1884 by Kentucky native Abraham Munn. Though he considered naming it “Munnville,” the town was rightfully named “Lakeland” because of its thirty-eight lakes spread throughout the city. Currently, Lakeland is receiving an influx of college students due to the beautiful campuses of Florida Polytechnic University, Florida Southern College, Polk State College, and Southeastern University. As the city continues to expand, it continues to be a place for dreamers to plant into the future.

Lakeland Fun Facts

Lakeland’s most famous and royal residents, its swans, can be found along Lake Morton in addition to various other lakes. In 1923 they were introduced, but a combination of predators and diseases wiped up the population by 1954. A concerned Lakeland resident heard about it and wrote the Queen Elizabeth II for help. She gifted the city two royal swans, and the current birds are all descendants of that first pair.

Remember “Edward Scissorhands”? The shopping scene was filmed right here in Lakeland, at the Southgate Shopping Center. Its famous arched entrance is the same plaza of the shop were Edward gets his hands sharpened in the movie.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed most of the buildings at Florida Southern College, and the campus is the largest collection of his architecture in one location anywhere in the world. The college commissioned Wright to create an aesthetically pleasing yet functional center for education in 1938. The twelve Wright-designed structures are all still intact, and visitors can take tours starting from the Frank Lloyd Wright visitors center.

In April, thousands of av-geeks (aviation fans) flock to the city to participate in one of the world’s largest aviation events, the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In. Featured at this event are state of the art aircraft displays ranging from WWII fighter jets to homemade aircrafts. Daily air shows streak overhead, educational forums cover nearly every aviation interest, and fun attractions for kids make it a great event for the whole family.

The Detroit Tigers hold their spring training headquarters here, at Joker Marchant Stadium.The Tigers started training there in 1934, and the city is also home to the Tigers’ minor league team, the Lakeland Flying Tigers.